“You’d think that the most realistic book cover would come from cow or pig collagen, but the company’s scientists preferred jellyfish collagen instead. In fact, said CEO Alexander Lorestani, Geltor wants to dispense with hidebound notions of what leather should be.

‘Not only can you make the thing that people have come to know as a material that gets used on car seats, gloves and book binding,’ he said, ‘we can start telling stories and building materials that have different properties than what you’ve relied on.’”